Mychaela, Young Transplant Survivor Helps Keep Her Parents Strong

 "I am living. That's what's important " - Mychaela Lovelace

from Eulalia Lovelace:

On April 1, 2008 my daughter, Mychaela Lovelace was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Prior to her diagnosis, our five-year old had a lot of red dots (petechiae) and bruising on her body. A doctor saw her and told us it was only a rash. The red dots remained on her body and I again called her physician, and he decided to take a blood sample. When the results came back, my husband was told to immediately take her to the hospital because her platelet counts were low (20,000). The hospital kept her and did a bone marrow biopsy which resulted in the diagnosis. We were advised to seek a second opinion and we went to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. The hematology physician confirmed that Mychaela had aplastic anemia.

Mychaela was in the intensive care unit of our local hospital (near our home of Southfield, Michigan) three times. Our family and the doctors were all very worried. She received 29 platelet and 18 hemoglobin transfusions at two different hospitals. That was too many for a five-year old child, so they tried both horse and rabbit ATG treatments which did not work.

Throughout this process, Mychaela remained strong. She was always telling me to stop worrying because she will be just fine. When her hair came out from the treatment, she told me to stop crying. “It was only hair,” she said. That made her mother strong! At the time, I worked in a doctor’s office, but I lost my job because I needed too much time away from work. My daughter came first. My husband held the entire family together.

After the ATG treatment, she was placed on the bone marrow donor list. Neither I, my husband, nor Mychaela’s 22-year-old sister, Ciara, were a match. However, a few months later, God turned it around. The hospital found her a donor who was a perfect match. 10 out of 10! Mychaela had her bone marrow transplant in March 2009.

Mychaela is now nine-years old and in fourth grade. After the transplant, she was taking a lot of medication and developed GVHD (graft versus host disease) which has resulted in some skin problems. Her platelets are also low for that reason. She still goes to the University of Michigan hospital and receives IVIG (Intravenous immunoglobulin) treatment to boost her immune system every two to three months, as well as monthly monitoring of her GVHD.

Mychaela’s donor keeps in touch. He was 38 years old at the time and later sent her a picture of his family and himself. We’ve communicated through Skype and hope one day soon she can meet him in person.

My daughter has a wonderful personality. She loves school so much and her friends love her. Mychaela wants to be a doctor so she can help others and tell them what she’s been through. She is not playing sports right now because of her platelet count, but she can exercise. She also loves to read a lot and cannot wait to go back to ballet school when she is completely well. Sometimes Mychaela feels sad because she wants to do more, but she always says, “I am living and that is what’s important right now.”

The University of Michigan and her donor saved my daughter’s life. I wanted to share my story with the world to let you know how things can turn around in your life.

Do you have a story to share? Email Mike Breuer for more information.